articleleftcol

Malawi's University of Science & Technology at Ndata Farm on course

Construction works on the University of Science and Technology in Thyolo are in progress, contrary to reports that the new government has abandoned the project.

Secretary for education responsible for Malawi universities development programme Macphail Magwira told Capital Radio that works on the Chinese funded project is on course and is expected to be finalised by December this year.

Magwira said as commitment to see the project through, the government allocated at least half a billion kwacha towards the project in this year’s national budget.

He said "currently contractors are making final touches on the buildings and other infrastructure such as water and sanitation facilities."

The university which is located within former President Bingu wa Mutharika’s Ndata farm is being constructed with a grant from the Chinese government amounting to 79 million dollars.

Meanwhile, the authorities are now working on developing a new curriculum before the university’s first intake, planned for next year.

There was a lot of criticism on the choice of Ndata farm for the university and the Mutharika regime failed to answer the critics.

It was widely believed that Mutharika was going to personalise the university as he had initially mooted to build his won private university at Ndata but failed to raise enough funds to enable him to do so.

Mutharika's death has meant the project has been inherited by the Peoples Party regime.